About the Place
This small village of Mayiladuthurai taluka of Nagapattinam (District) in Tamil Nadu is another unique example of Pan-India Hinduness underlying our practices and beliefs. Kondal, same as Kullu, is home to the Hidimba Devi Temple, worshipped with equal fervor, faith and reverence.
What to See
Interestingly, the main temple at Kondal is of Draupadi but devotees come here to pray for Hidimba Devi. The belief is that these prayers to her help to ward off evil spirits.
The temple in KONDAL is open for darshan on Tuesdays & Fridays only, though pooja can be done if desired on other days too with prior
arrangement. The deity here has been guarding Kondal village and its residents for over six centuries. Annually, their love and Bhakti towards her manifests through their holding a grand mela called locally as “Amman Utsavam”.
How to Reach
Travelers by air to Kondal could either touch Chennai or Bangalore or the nearest airport at Trichy (also shown on maps as Thiruchchirapalli) or Pondichery (Puduchery) from where luxury taxis/cars can be hired at reasonable rates. By rail/road, one should reach Mayiladuthurai (also called as Mayavaram or Mayuram by the locals) for which plenty of good quality State Transport Buses ply round the clock, frequently.
— SN Aiyer
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